Simon Cowell Inks $125 Million Transatlantic Securitization Deal For Got Talent Franchise

variety.com:

K.J. Yossman Simon Cowell has securitized the Got Talent franchise in what’s been described as a “groundbreaking” $125 million deal.

The securitization relates to the intellectual property behind the franchise, including both the U.S. and British versions of the show, “America’s Got Talent” and “Britain’s Got Talent.” As part of the deal, the assets to the franchise and its spin-offs have been pooled, including “production margins and fees, digital income, franchise and original content sales and sponsorship income.” The Got Talent franchise has been commissioned across 72 global territories, including Armenia, Chile and Egypt.

As of 2017, it holds the Guinness world record title for “Most international versions for a reality television format.” Syco was advised by media and entertainment investment bank ACF and law firm Memery Crystal.

ACF said the deal took over two years and involved teams on both sides of the Atlantic. The structure of the deal is similar to that used for royalty income streams in the music industry.